


Embrace

by frickityfrackity



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, No Smut, attempted self-harm, sorry bout that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-27
Updated: 2016-07-08
Packaged: 2018-05-27 15:01:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6289144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frickityfrackity/pseuds/frickityfrackity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After everything wrong in Daryl's life, Jesus seems to be the only right.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After losing a close friend, Jesus attempts to cheer Daryl up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to the incredible amount of feedback on my first Darus fic, I decided to write this! Thank you all who like what I write. I certainly appreciate the loveliness from everyone :) Enjoy!

The burning sensation of a cigarette above his skin didn't give him the slightest bit of fear. It offered a presumed cure for depression that led to more grieving, resulting in even more cigarettes on his skin. It was a loophole that would only end when Daryl wanted it to, and he had no idea as to when the end would be. The first time he burned himself, he found it to be quite painful. Nothing he couldn't handle, though. He imagined the more cigs he'd go through, the less pain he'd feel.

As he was about to press the next lit cigarette onto his arm, a hand grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

"Don't." A soft, concerned voice spoke. Daryl stared at the hand for a while, slightly uncomfortable with its presence. He supposed he just didn't want to be caught, but the man who stood before him saw exactly what he was doing. At this moment, Daryl thought Jesus was more of a prick than ever.

"Go away." Daryl growled, wanting to be left alone to his own devices. Jesus refused and tightened his grip on Daryl's wrist. He cautiously sat down next to Daryl, partially respecting the boundaries he may have set up. But if Jesus truly hadn't broken into his personal bubble, he wouldn't have stopped him.

"I won't leave until I know you won't hurt yourself." Jesus shot Daryl a reassuring look, but Daryl was just too afraid to meet the other man's eyes. He felt embarrassed to have Jesus see him in such a distraught mood.

"'m not." Daryl lied, somewhat hopeful that Jesus was gullible. To his dismay, he was not. Though they haven't known each other for long, Daryl was aware that Jesus was a very persistent man.

"Daryl, drop it," he commanded. "There's no need for you to do this to yourself. I'm not in a position where I truly know what you're going through, but—"

"No, you ain't." Jesus let out a sigh, clearly annoyed of Daryl's determination to get him off his back.

"I want to you help you. I want to be there for you and stop you from doing crazy shit like this."

"Ya don't even know me." Daryl grunted, tensing up a bit. All he wanted was for the man to stop worrying about him and leave.

"I know you well enough to conclude that you're a great guy who by all means should not be doing this to himself."

Daryl turned to stare at Jesus, twirling the cigarette between his fingers. He examined the younger man, noticing the beauty that he had previously blocked out of his mind. He was well-groomed and gorgeous, with eyes that could easily transfix anyone. He felt what he could only assume to be trust, and that scared him. Getting close to someone else would lead to their death, and Daryl didn't believe he could survive that for another time.

"It's m' fault." Daryl whispered, loud enough for only him to hear.

"What?"

"Denise," he said louder. "It's my fault she's dead." Tears began to well up in his eyes, embarrassment rushing to his head and making him even more overwhelmed.

"Hey, no, no. You couldn't stop that. You played no part in what was going on in Dwight's head. You had no control over what would happen."

"But if I killed the damn sonuvabitch—"

"If you killed him, you'd feel more guilty than you do right now."

Daryl scoffed. "Don't act like you know me."

"Daryl." He was hurt. Offended, more likely, but Daryl wasn't particularly fond of seeing Jesus like that. If he was with anyone else, the redneck would've made up an excuse and left; on the contrary, he stayed. Daryl cared about people he had much time to grow close to, but Jesus was the unexpected exception. Daryl hated him for that. But at the same time, he appreciated him.

He looked down at his shaking hand and parted his fingers, watching closely as the cigarette hit the ground. It took him a few moments to process how the new guy was making him feel.

"Thank you." Jesus smiled at Daryl, the silence beginning to falter. Daryl softened, resting his head on Jesus's shoulder. He shifted around bit, trying to get more comfortable in order to feel safer. He was concerned that he was letting his guard down around a man he barely had time to know, but he felt protected. 

"She didn't deserve it." Daryl muttered.

"No," Jesus said, wrapping his arm around Daryl and pulling him closer, giving him a gentle squeeze of reassurance that he was actually there. "She didn't."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come stop by and say hello if you'd like :) : http://everlasting-trash.tumblr.com/
> 
> Also, I apologize for the first chapter being so short. Lately, I've been having trouble getting past 1,000 words in a single chapter... Hopefully that habit will end soon, though~


	2. Anger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden feeling of rage leads Daryl to making stupid decisions. Luckily, Jesus is there to stop him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place the following day, and is basically an AU for 6x15 (minus Carol leaving, because I love her too much). Also, Rick & Co. may be a little more trusting of Jesus in this fic, but that just gives me more of an excuse to get him closer to Daryl. Enjoy :)

Daryl woke up with a sudden feeling of rage clouding his mind. He looked back on the previous night, remembering the sincerity in Jesus's gorgeous eyes as he spoke. He recalled resting his head on Jesus's shoulder, convincing himself that it meant nothing more than desperation for comfort. He was a broken man in need of a friend, and Jesus was there to help out. However, despite the peacefulness he experienced last night, now all he wanted was to feel Dwight's throat in his hands.

He ran outside and hopped on his bike, immediately driving to the gates. Heads turned at the loud roar of the engine, but not one person stepped up. The people who _would've_ made an attempt to stop him were all sound asleep, and Daryl knew they'd stop him too. That's why he decided to leave when only few men and women were awake.

"Where the hell are you going?" Rosita groaned as Daryl opened the gates.

"Out."

"No shit."

"Jus' don't follow me. I got stuff to take care of."

"What 'stuff'?" Daryl chose to ignore Rosita's irritation.

"None of your business. Now _move_." With that, Rosita knew exactly what he was about to do. She nodded towards him in agreement, hoping that Daryl would be given the chance to avenge Denise without getting hurt. Letting him pass, Rosita stepped aside. Daryl got on his bike once more and left his home without thinking twice.

* * *

The first thought on Jesus's mind when he woke up was Daryl. Call him a love-struck teenager if you must, but Jesus found the older man to be quite fascinating. In the short span of time they knew each other, something about him was able to make Jesus feel different, and he could only hope that his feelings were mutual.

He left his house to visit Daryl, deciding to take a little stroll around the community beforehand. Jesus was already in love with Alexandria. He adored the people and their ability to survive, and he was able to easily trust them. Surprisingly, they trusted him as well. Rick had already offered the man a place, and he gladly accepted. His house wasn't in the best shape and was the outlier of all the occupied residences, but he understood. Hopefully, he'll be given a better house as time goes by and their trust for each other grows.

After his walk, he stepped onto Daryl's porch and lightly tapped on the door. When there was no response, Jesus just assumed that he had to knock louder. So, that's what he did. He began to grow worried when there was no answer yet again, hoping that Daryl was just sleeping in. But out of concern, he decided to head to the entrance and ask Rosita.

"Hey, Rosita. Have you happened to see Daryl around?"

"He left."

"What?" Jesus's eyes widened slightly in shock. "You let him leave?"

Rosita shrugged. "He has good intentions."

Though he was unaware of Daryl's plans, he assumed that they most likely involved him risking his own life. "Getting himself killed is _not_ a good intention."

She rolled her eyes and sighed, knowing that many people would disagree with Daryl and her. "Look, if you want to go after him, I can tell you where to look. But you really shouldn't stop him—"

"Tell me where he is." Jesus looked at Rosita with unintentional puppy dog eyes. "Please."

After a few moments of deliberation, Rosita gave in to Jesus's pleads and explained how to get to the train tracks where Denise had died. In the explanation, she had also included where Dwight had ran off.

"Thank you, Rosita." He said, smiling. Rosita then opened the gates and Jesus left on foot, just as he had arrived in Alexandria.

"Jesus," she called out before he left. He stopped moving and turned around to face her. "You can still let Daryl do this. Just watch his ass."

"I will." He turned his back towards Alexandria and ran off.

* * *

When Jesus finally arrived at the tracks, he noticed something a dark stain on the wood. He knelt in front of it, looking down and closing his eyes. _"This is where she died,"_ Jesus thought, saddened by the dried blood on the tracks. He could only imagine what everyone had been going through when they witnessed Denise's demise.

"I'm sorry." Jesus said with truthfulness. Part of him wished Tara would never have to find out, but sadly, that wasn't the case.

After quickly paying his respects, Jesus noticed something in the bushes. He pushed the branches aside and saw a familiar bike. He glanced at the blood stain once more, and used it to direct where Rosita had informed Dwight ran off. He carefully walked there, staying quiet in case someone—more specifically, Dwight—was around. Suddenly, the sound of a crossbow shooting was heard, followed by an arrow hitting a tree that Jesus was just about to walk by. He flinched, pulling the arrow out of the tree and throwing it on the ground.

"Daryl, why the hell did you leave?" The last thing he wanted was to be angry at the other man, but the rage building up inside him didn't stop. He was merely upset that Daryl was trying to do something so ridiculously dangerous.

"You found me, didn't ya? Then you should know why. But you still shouldn'a come here."

"I told you, what happened was not your fault. I know you're upset, but you shouldn't be doing this."

"Upset?" Daryl scoffed. "I'm _pissed._ That asshole shoulda been dead long ago, but I let 'im live. After pullin' all that shit on me, he should see this comin'."

"You can't just fight fire with fire, Daryl. You have to let it go. Be the good guy."

"Killin' the asshole will make me the good guy."

"You'll be just as bad as him if you murder him."

"No, you're wrong."

"Daryl," Jesus was getting desperate. He felt like he was losing Daryl. "Just go back to your home. Don't do this."

"Home ain't home without her." Denise was yet another person he considered family, though they barely interacted with each other in public. Their private moments together made them appreciate each other even more.

"But there's Rick, Michonne, Glenn, Carol, Maggie. The list of people who make Alexandria your home goes on. They wouldn't want you to do this." Daryl thought about the people Jesus mentioned. Though he didn't want to admit it, Jesus was right; they're his family. He cared about them more than his own life, and he'd do anything for them. But he barely knew Jesus, so why listen to him?

"Next time I see that asshole, I'm gonna kill 'im."

"So," Jesus said, an optimistic gleam in his eyes, "are you coming back?"

Daryl groaned, pushing Jesus aside and heading towards his bike. He felt so stupid for listening to someone who had no power over him, and he still believed that killing Dwight was the only way out of this. Daryl pulled his motocycle out from the bushes and quickly looked around, attempting to search for any sort of transportation Jesus may have used. He was a bit surprised when he realized that the younger man had walked there.

He hopped on his motorcycle and started it, regarding whether or not Jesus would be coming with him. Obviously, he was.

"C'mon." he grunted, motioning for the man to sit down behind him. Jesus, secretly pleased with this decision, got on the bike and sat close to Daryl. "Hold on tight, 'kay?"

Jesus wrapped his arms around Daryl's abdomen, leaning slightly into him and resting his head on his back. Both men felt comfortable in that position, but neither would dare admit it. Daryl always repressed those types feelings and tried as hard as he could to deny their existence. Jesus knew that he'd eventually converse with someone about it, but all he needed was the right moment to do so.

The presence of one another gave off a warm aura, calming both of them down. Daryl was beginning to seem alright with waiting longer to get revenge for his friend, and Jesus was becoming even happier when with Daryl. As Daryl started to drive back home, Jesus smiled and indulged in the serene moment they shared together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like always, you can always stop by and say hello: http://everlasting-trash.tumblr.com/
> 
> Over 1,300 words. Cheers to improvement!  
> But if this was how last night's episode actually went, I'm sure the fandom would be MUCH happier.  
> Anyway, spring break for me is ending. So, sadly, you lovelies should no longer expect chapters to come out this quickly. I apologize sincerely for that, and I hope that new ideas will inspire me to write whenever I have free time.


	3. Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Daryl and Jesus find tranquility in a sleepless night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it's been a lot longer than I expected since I last wrote anything Darus. I'm really sorry for not updating this fic for a while, but I hope you enjoy it anyway :)

A smug smile spread across Abraham's face when he saw Jesus wrapped around Daryl as they pulled up to the large gates of Alexandria.

"So, your boyfriend talk some sense into ya?" Abraham yelled down at them with hopes of getting a rise out of Daryl.

"He ain't my boyfriend." The redneck shouted back, clearly offended by the joke. Daryl's face flushed somewhat as he felt Jesus laugh against his back. 

Rosita deduced that they didn't kill Dwight, judging by the looks on their faces. She glared at the two men intimidatingly as she held the gate to the community open. Her focus was on expressing her anger in a way that Jesus would notice. She was expecting Jesus to help Daryl end the life of Denise's murderer, despite that being the complete opposite of what had actually happened.

Jesus noticed her glaring at him, confirming her plan to be a success. He hopped off Daryl's bike when they entered Alexandria and made his way to Rosita, expecting to get a punch in the face. Part of him wondered if he deserved it.

"Don't talk. Just listen." She demanded, obviously not in the mood to have Jesus speak to her. "Denise was an amazing person. She's _family._ She deserves justice. That piece of shit that killed her? He needs to go. Keeping him alive will just result in him killing more innocent people, and if you don't let Daryl do this, their deaths will be on you." Rosita turned away and walked back to her post, leaving Jesus alone to think about the decision he had made. Every bone in his body ached as he attempted to figure out if he was right or wrong. He hated to admit it, but after much deliberation, he did not regret his choice.

He was undeniably furious that Denise died. He agreed with everyone that she didn't deserve that, and avenging her would be one hell of a victory. But he also knew that letting Daryl go after her killer alone and without a plan was a suicide mission. Jesus wasn't going to let him risk his life for that. Even if Daryl somehow succeeded, Dwight's death would no doubt agitate his own group, which would put the entire population of Alexandria in danger. He couldn't let that happen.

Jesus decided to stroll through the town to become more familiar with the place. The only part he knew by heart was Daryl's house, for that was where he spent most of his time when he visited. His profound bond with Daryl was stronger than any of his past relationships, even if they had only known each other for a number of weeks.

"Hey," a voice suddenly called from behind him. Jesus spun around on his heels and was now face-to-face with the town's leader, Rick Grimes. "Can we talk?"

"Sure, Rick," he responded politely. "What's up?"

"I'm beginning to trust you, Jesus. You seem like a good guy, and I think you could be a huge asset to our community. I've discussed this with everyone else, and we've all agreed that you deserve a permanent place here."

"Well, Rick, I'm really flattered by the offer. I hope you know that if I do accept, I will have to go back to the Hilltop every once in a while."

"Yeah, we went over that already, and we're fine with it. So, deal?" Rick held out his hand and nodded towards it. It was an honor to have Rick finally learn to trust him.

Jesus hesitated for a moment, but with a grin forming on his lips, he shook the leader's hand. "Deal."

* * *

Considering the inky color of the night sky, most people would assume that it was anytime past midnight. The community was silent and dark, and Jesus couldn't fall asleep. His porch light illuminated only a fraction of the darkness that secreted the town. The empty void above him wasn't eerie this night, for he felt safe in the enclosed town. All he could hear was his own breathing and the occasional growl of unaware walkers.

He had already toured his new house twice and adored it completely, but something just didn't sit right; it was too empty. Jesus didn't want to live in such a beautiful house without anyone to share it with, but he didn't let that factor bother him too much. He just wished to relax on his first day as an official resident of Alexandria with hopes of avoiding any stressful thoughts.

Jesus' state of tranquility was not interrupted as Daryl suddenly stepped onto porch.

"Rick told me how to find ya." Daryl stated, examining Jesus' new house. "Nice place."

"Can't sleep?" Jesus asked, chuckling softly.

"Naw." Daryl replied, joining his newfound friend on the porch swing. They sat together in silence, both unsure of what to say. It wasn't awkward, though; the quietness was filled with a serenity that wasn't easy to find during the apocalypse. The moment they shared together would not go without appreciation.

Jesus stared at his feet, softly rocking the swing back and forth. He raised his head and yawned, turning to see Daryl glancing at him. As soon as their eyes met, Daryl looked away. Jesus had never wanted to kiss Daryl as much as he did in that instant.

"Sorry." Daryl mumbled, his voice barely audible. His shyness was an attribute that crushed his self-confidence. They were both in silence once again, still feeling at peace. Something still didn't feel right, though, and Jesus wanted to fix it.

"Would you hate me if I tried to kiss you?" Jesus asked.

"What?" Daryl questioned, confused, quickly swiveling his head back to stare at the other man.

"If I tried to kiss you right now, would you hate me?"

"I already hate you, asshole." Though Daryl tried to seem tough, Jesus noticed the blush that slowly crept onto his cheeks. 

The redneck looked away for a second time, feeling a little too awkward to face his friend. But of course, Jesus wasn't going to let him get away with that.

"Daryl, look at me." With much hesitation, Daryl turned his head and reluctantly stared at Jesus. Jesus gazed at him for a moment, then slowly leaned closer to him. His eyes glanced down at Daryl's lips and back up to his eyes. Then, the gap between them was closed.

Daryl enjoyed the feeling of Jesus' soft lips against his. Jesus' hand made its way onto Daryl's head, his fingers intertwining with his disheveled hair, Daryl lightly gripping the clothes on Jesus' back. Jesus could feel Daryl's nose brush against his skin; he could barely taste the residue of a cigarette on his hard lips. It was only them and the endless, dark sky, and they both loved it.

Daryl's admiration for Jesus' vibrant baby blues grew as they parted and slowly opened their eyes. They felt their breathing against each others' skin as their foreheads were pressed together. As they leaned back, Jesus laughed, completely astounded that that had just happened. 

They both leaned against the back of the porch swing, sitting in silence once again. However, nothing was wrong this time. Jesus moved closer to Daryl so their bodies were pressing and rested his head on Daryl's shoulder. He tilted his head and leaned slightly into Jesus, both men being very comfortable in position.

"So, you hate me now?" Jesus asked jokingly.

"Nah." Daryl smiled and closed his eyes, Jesus doing the same. They both peacefully drifted off to sleep with the feeling that they'd be just fine, even if there was the chance of them not waking up in the morning. As long as they had each other, they'd be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to stop by and say hello!: http://everlasting-trash.tumblr.com/
> 
> Honestly, I don't even know if people are still reading this. I don't mind, though, because fan fiction is just really fun to write :) I hope you all enjoyed, and stay tuned for the next chapter!


End file.
